Fans who have been patiently awaiting the release of CD Projekt Red's next RPG, Cyberpunk 2077, got hit with some surprising bad news. The hotly anticipated game has just been delayed for twenty-one days, now releasing on December 10th, 2020. This is the fourth delay since the game's initial release date of April 26th, 2020, was announced at E3 2019.
Gamers are understandably upset, especially since CD Projekt Red said the game had reached "gold master" certification. This means that a master copy of the final launch version has been created and is ready for duplication and distribution to retailers. The developers say this is still the case, but this latest delay is intended for them to work on a Day 0 patch of the game.
There is fairly justifiable reasoning behind the pushed release. Just because a game has "gone gold" doesn't necessarily mean the game is truly finished. It just means that this is the version of the game working well enough to meet a publisher's deadlines. Crunch time and rushed release windows are common plagues in the industry, meeting consumers' demanding expectations.
While fully aware of the blowback this decision is causing, CD Projekt Red insists that this newest delay is essential. The developers plan on using this time to give Cyberpunk 2077 extra polish and ensure that it will work properly on all supported platforms, current and next-gen. This delay is for quality assurance, and they must have weighed this decision versus a potentially glitchy and catastrophic launch.
These new fixes and polishes will be applied in a Day 0 patch, so hopefully, this will mitigate any bumps or bugs on launch. Many people are upset because they have planned vacations around the November release, and others feel they are being ripped off, paying for a game that seemingly will never come out.
But in the end, this delay will only ensure a better product and increase the odds of a stable, smooth launch. Though players have expectations that certainly shouldn't be ignored, it's ultimately better to take the time to deliver a truly polished experience than bungle the launch.
CD Projekt Red has proven they can deliver a high-quality, AAA RPG gaming experience with The Witcher series. Cyberpunk 2077 isn't a game in perpetual development limbo, like Star Citizen -- it still has a master copy made. If the developers think that this is the right move for Cyberpunk 2077, then gamers must come to terms with their decision, especially if it results in a better game for everyone.
Developed by CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077 arrives on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Google Stadia and PC Dec. 10.